Undone is a one-man show by Wessel Pretorius that fuses physical theatre and dramatic narration. The work was originally written in Afrikaans as Ont and circuited Afrikaans arts festivals across the country. Ont garnered several awards for Pretorius. Director Hennie van Greunen translated the work into English and the show then travelled to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it was very well received. Ont is a highly provocative work which challenges its audience from the outset.
Undone is a one-man show by Wessel Pretorius that fuses physical theatre and dramatic narration. The work was originally written in Afrikaans as Ont and circuited Afrikaans arts festivals across the country. Ont garnered several awards for Pretorius. Director Hennie van Greunen translated the work into English and the show then travelled to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it was very well received. Ont is a highly provocative work which challenges its audience from the outset.
Wessel Pretorius delivers a commanding performance of a man dealing with his complicated family life. (CuePix/Louisa Feiter)
As the audience filters into the theatre, they are confronted with the naked body of the actor submerged in a metal bath tub. The stage design is sparse with an old gramophone, a suitcase, a book of poetry and a pair of women’s shoes. Van Greunen’s choice to jar the audience by bringing them straight into the actor’s world initiates this intimate story of a disillusioned young man coming to terms with his “undoing”.
It begins in water, at birth; Pretorius then re-enacts the memories, thoughts and impressions of his life. He tells the story of the bond between mother and son, of being raised by a disciplinarian father and of a selfish brother. Pretorius paints the haunting portrait of a complicated family life as the character deals with the passing of his parents and the absence of his brother. Pretorius’s story is couched in Afrikaans culture, but explores issues that are part of all personal histories – mothers, stoic parenting, self-awareness and religion. But most especially, this is a poet lamenting the perplexing nature of family.
The text is constructed with sensitivity and with a technical dramaturgy that allows the story to unfold like a modern Greek tragedy. Language is relentlessly manipulated in a text which uses prose poetry, literary references and classical forms to develop an otherworldly style. Van Greunen’s English translation is highly successful; it retains the Afrikaans essence that is so crucial to the story.
Undone is harrowing and sensual in parts, but provides glorious catharsis at the end. This is achieved through the unique physical language that Pretorius has developed for it. The actor’s performance is sincere and his command of the stage is exceptional. He makes use of precise gestures and contorts and twists his body to embody characters and inner turmoil. The minimalist staging does not compromise the rigorous physical performance he gives. However, some of the transitions between individual vignettes could have been more seamless.
Undone is a brave and unassuming piece of theatre that reminds us of how the people we love have made us, live within us, undo us and are continually remaking us anew. It confirms that Pretorius is part of a new generation of exciting Afrikaans theatre makers that includes Jaco Bouwer and Christiaan Olwagen. Their experimentation with staging, form and physical language creates theatre that is honest and moving.
This story was originally published on Cue Online – cue.ru.ac.za
